Signing that CB was a huge lift to the recruiting trail and from looking at the stats he is going to be a man among boys in the secondary. But what is on paper does not always translate to the field so the verdict is still out on this recruit, no we have to find another stud CB to make our defense really work. If we can get another solid CB and get another solid backup then I will feel a little more at ease. But along with this huge signing, there are a number of big recruits that I want to fill some other holes or solidify the future of the Tide. Roll Tide.!!!!!

RyanC - You had a huge start to the year in recruiting, how do you think this reflects on prospects idea of you as a coach, and have you gained some trust from players after the recent struggle by UM?

Coach Russell - Top flight Ballers love the U !!!! But on the other side of things, we felt we had to address some key positions on the team and with seniors at TE and MLB, those young men have some pretty big shoes to fill. This years recruiting class will get an even better feel of what kind of coach I am in the coming weeks. My Motto is work hard hit harder and here we all follow suit. We are a family here in Miami the trust is all around, I don't think I've lost or gained any added trust here its a constant. We just have to work on not being overly aggressive on defense and we'll be fine 42 points in the 4th quarter thru two games is big, but now we've got the Buckeyes in our sights and well be ready.

RyanC - How big of a factor was Titus Beck's 6'8" frame in your recruitment of him?

Coach Russell - Titus is a monster in the trenches and an excellent route runner for a tight-end, his height is just icing on the cake. The kids got one hell of a motor and honestly we'd have him on the team even if he was 5'8" we recruit soldiers at the U and thats what he is.

How does the signing of Washington help bolster your o-line for the future? What are his biggest assets and what needs to be fixed before he can start for PSU?

Scramblers have not had a ton of success in Happy Valley in recent years, what was the logic behind bringing in another running QB? Was it just a need to fill and he was the best available or is there a method to the madness?

How does the signing of Washington help bolster your o-line for the future? What are his biggest assets and what needs to be fixed before he can start for PSU?We believe our recent signing of Andre Washington will be of significant impact for our program. 1st off it solidifies our position as King of the East, as far as recruiting goes. 2nd, it helps us to lay the foundation for future offensive line success. In two years this kid should be special!

Scramblers have not had a ton of success in Happy Valley in recent years, what was the logic behind bringing in another running QB? Was it just a need to fill and he was the best available or is there a method to the madness?Once again, Brandon Young is one of the top prospects in the East, New Jersey to be exact like Washington. 2nd, our QB situation is yet to be settled, so a little more competition should help to bring the position into focus. Lastly, we have had great success with running QB's. Michael Robinson led us to the 2005 Big 10 title, and a Rose Bowl win. He was the Big 10 offensive player of the year and also finished 5th in the Heisman race. We can have major success with running QB's.

On a serious note, what do you see as the upside for your recruits, is there star potential there or are these guys there to play fundamental ball?

Roman Mangum has good size and is very athletic for a tackle. We are losing both our starting tackles this year so I could see Roman competing for a starting job as early as next season. We also are looking forward to having Texas as a future pipeline state given the amount of talent they produce.

Johnny Johnson will fit in very well with the other safeties here at FSU. We have already have a bunch of young guys looking to compete for the starting job next year so most likely Johnny will redshirt and get a chance to add more muscle onto his frame.

How were you able to change the perception of the Trojan football program after recent years when talking to recruits? Was it hard to come up with the #4 player in the nation after the school went through so much recently?

How were you able to change the perception of the Trojan football program after recent years when talking to recruits? Was it hard to come up with the #4 player in the nation after the school went through so much recently?

Honestly the Trojan football program speaks for itself, we've got a legacy in the past decade that rivals anyone in the country. They can talk about the sanctions all they want, that's not who I am and thats not how I get my recruits. You wanna know why our WR corps is so deep? Mind you this is before Dudley even steps on campus - take a look at #7 Matt Barkley. They see his cannon, and they want a guy like him throwing them the ball. With top notch facilities, the SoCal weather, and tons of females - who wouldn't wanna come here? So to answer your question, no it wasn't hard - I expect more of these recruits to come knocking on our door, and not to be arrogant but I expect to be Top 10 in the nation each year when it comes to recruiting! Once these sanctions are lifted....watch out. Ok, I need a beer...too much thinking for one day....we don't work here, we just play and rely on natural talent the typical California way .